Kinky Gay Marriage Backer Runs For Texas Governor

[movieguy]

Kinky Gay Marriage Backer Runs For Texas Governor

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Posted: November 12, 2005 12:01 am ET

(Fort Worth, Texas) Author and musician Kinky Friedman has opened a campaign office in his quest to unseat Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Friedman is an Independent and considered a longshot - but the pundits dismissed wrestler Jesse Ventura when he ran for governor of Minnesota in 1998.

Wearing his trademark black Stetson and smoking an illegal Cuban cigar, Friedman cut the ribbon on the campaign office in Fort Worth.

To be an independent candidate on the ballot, he must get 45-thousand-540 signatures between March 8th and May 11th from registered voters who don't cast a ballot in any party primary or runoff.

"I support gay marriage," Friedman says. "I believe they have a right to be as miserable as the rest of us." He then pointed to a blemish on the end of his nose saying it was probably God's punishment for his support of gay marriage.

But, it wasn't all jokes.

Asked about the amendment banning same-sex couples from marrying that was passed on Tuesday, Friedman said that if elected he'd try to get voters to overturn it.

He also says he's in favor of prayer in schools.

"I'll also contend you won't find any other candidate that supports gay marriage and prayer in school, for a very good reason, and that is — the party tells these people what to think," Friedman said.

"So that just shows that I'm honest and that I'm independent-thinking, and if you stop to think about it, that's not a bad trait for a governor."

Perry campaign director Luis Saenz compared the Friedman effort "no less a joke than what Democrats have put up in recent years.

Perry is being challenged for the GOP nomination by state Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn. Former U.S. Representative Chris Bell of Houston is the best-known Democratic candidate.

Meanwhile Friedman has gone some high powered support for his bid for the governor's mansion in form of Willie Nelson. The country star recently held a fundraiser that netted tens of thousands of dollars for the Kinky campaign. And Country Music Television is working on a reality show on Friedman's run for the governorship.

The network has already committed to airing a preview of the proposed show based. If it's successful CMT will shoot a whole season, following Friedman and his campaign across Texas.

According to a recent Zogby International poll, Friedman would get 21 percent of the vote. Jesse Ventura didn't reach 21 percent in a similar poll until a week before he was elected Minnesota governor.

©365Gay.com 2005

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